- Nov 04th, 2008
SriLankan Cares has commenced its newest effort to develop and uplift the standard of education in the Southern Province, a Rs. 51 million project for the future of thousands of children at Debarawewa Primary Navodaya Vidyalaya.
SriLankan Cares is the charity arm of SriLankan Airlines. Its primary objective is to uplift the education of children throughout Sri Lanka.
The school presently has 3,076 children in Year 1-8, with a staff of 93 teachers, and the project is expected to be of great benefit to the entire Hambantota District. Debarawewa is located a short distance from Tissamaharama.
The three-year project will witness the construction of two buildings of three storey to house 24 furnished classrooms, a fully equipped computer laboratory, a library, and a classroom for differently-able students. The school’s existing playground will also be developed.
W.K. Dharmadasa, the school’s Principal, said: “This project by SriLankan Airlines will be of immense value to the children of this area. This school serves children from as far away as Kataragama, but we presently have facilities only up to Year 8. SriLankan’s efforts will upgrade the school through to Ordinary Level, which will allow our students to continue their education in their own town, and go on to serve the community here, instead of moving to cities as far away as Colombo.”
Christie Fernando, Properties Manager (Projects & Planning), said: “Construction is well under way and is progressing at a rapid pace. We are scheduled to complete Phase I and hand over the first building in December 2008.”
This is the third school to be adopted by SriLankan Cares Trust. SriLankan Cares in 2003 began a highly successful long-term programme which uplifted Meepagama Jayanthi Maha Vidyalaya, a school of 1,000 children in the flood-ravaged Kalawana area of the Ratnapura District. Following the Tsunami of 2004, SriLankan Cares and its partners Lufthansa Technik, HelpAlliance, and GTZ, reconstructed Al Bahriyah Maha Vidyalaya in Kalmunai in the Batticaloa District, a school of 1,500 children.
Debarawewa Primary Navodaya Vidyalaya was selected following an extensive inspection of the area’s schools. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed for the project between SriLankan Cares, the Ministry of Education, and the Southern Provincial Ministry of Education.
The school, established in 1978, has an enviable record in academics. In 2001, the country’s finest result in the Year 5 Scholarship Examination came from Debarawewa Primary. Last year, 137 of 420 students who sat the Exam obtained scholarships, an astounding rate of 32%. In addition, 75% of the students obtained more than 100 marks.
Many of its past students are to be found at the country’s best schools such as Royal and Vishaka, and in institutes of higher education such as the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Law College. About 30 of its past students qualify for university admission each year.
“Teachers and parents take a lot of interest and effort in the development of this school. Discipline is excellent and the premises itself are kept in spotless condition,” said Principal Dharmadasa.
Construction of the first building commenced on 23rd July 2008. The project will cost Rs. 12.4 million during the first year, which will be for the construction of an eight-classroom block of 4,500 square feet to house Year 9, together with furniture.
Phase II will involve a second eight-classroom building to house Year 10, also of 4,500 square feet together with furniture, and a computer lab. This will be carried out next year at a cost of Rs. 19.64 million. The third phase in 2010 will cost a further Rs. 19.25 million to construct a third building of similar size with eight classrooms together with furniture for Year 11, and a separate building to house a fully equipped library.
Rashilka Nilmane, a Year 8 student of the school, said: “Children in our school are very talented and perform very well in academics, sports, and arts. But we need help to further develop the school and provide more facilities. Our students can compete with any school in the country.”
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